1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to an approximate reasoning apparatus as well as a clarity output apparatus for computing information quantities of individual factors and outputting clarity obtained from such information quantities.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Approximate reasoning in a method of correcting or altering the results of reasoning depending upon an information quantities of factors used in order to derive the results of reasoning is known. (For example, see "AN EXPERT SYSTEM WITH THINKING IN IMAGES", by Zhang Hongmin, Preprints of Second IFSA Congress, Tokyo, Jul. 20-25, 1987, p. 765.)
This approximate reasoning method involves using a membership function given for every conclusion relative to a factor to calculate the information quantity of every factor ( i.e., the information identifying capability of a factor), and correcting or altering the results of reasoning (namely the possibility that a conclusion will hold) depending upon information quantities of factors used in order to derive the conclusion (wherein the correction or alteration involves taking the product of possibility and information quantity), thereby improving the capability to identify the results of reasoning.
With this method, however, the information quantity of a factor used is an average information quantity that is a fixed value obtained by computation for every factor. Consequently, even if data is inputted in an area where the identification capability of a membership function is high, possibility, which is the result of reasoning, is low in a case where the average information quantity is low, and therefore the identification capability of the results of reasoning is reduced.
Further, in the conventional method described above, the average information quantity, which is a fixed value obtained by computation for every factor, is not expressed to the user clearly as an information quantity of a factor. As a consequence, the clarity (reliability) of the results of reasoning with regard to a factor to which the inputted data belongs is unknown. For example, even in a case where reasoning is performed using some of the factors (i.e., by inputting data regarding these factors) among those usable to derive a conclusion, it cannot be judged whether or not other factors should be used additionally and whether reasoning should be executed again or not.